Jennifer Rubin, the the Washington Post, writes a thoughtful critique on the new EEOC Guidelines regarding background checks and their use for preemployment screening. In her article, Rubin writes that unnecessary and possibly illegal constraints are being placed on employers. She asserts the new guidelines contain considerable contradictions, where she asks in her article…

“Can a police department enforce a ban on hiring any convicted felon? Doesn’t seem like it. Can a bank impose a flat rule that no one convicted of financial crime can handle cash? Not unless he wants to get sued.”

Rubin notes how employers must consider and applicant on a case by case basis. This would mean a reduction in the standardization of hiring policy. She addresses the issue where an employer overlooking criminal records may come into conflict with the compliance standards of state and local laws, even federal laws, in relation to certain types of jobs.

I have seen a number of articles related to the new EEOC Guidelines. This is among the more thoughtful. One should read it by going to this link.

For those conducting MVRs, Motor Vehicle Driving Records, as background checks for either DOT compliance or employment screening, please be aware, the Oregon State Department of Motor Vehicles will be increasing fees for the driving records.

As of June 1st, 2012, the Oregon State DMV will raise the rates for a driving record. Stay tuned for final pricing.

For those who conduct background checks as part of their employment screening programs, please be aware that all courts will be closed Monday, May 28th for the Memorial Day Weekend. Courts will be closing early on Friday so there may be a slight delay in County Criminal Records and County Civil Records.

Corra Group will also be closed for the Memorial Day Weekend. We will close early on Friday, at Noon Pacific Time, and will be closed Monday, May 28th. We will reopen for regular business hours on Tuesday, May 29th.

We want to wish everyone a great Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy and be safe.

It’s an uncomfortable situation when your employees steal from you. Or, worse, when they use your database platform to steal from your clients.

I have written about employee theft, with one article entitled, Employ Theft Among Valued Employees. Clearly, since the Recession employee theft has been on the increase. Some thieving employees may have criminal convictions but who slipped through the background checks that were conducted during the employment screening process. And some may just be employees who fell into dire straits, got in over their heads, and now steal to make ends meet. Large corporations and smaller companies have all been subjected to employment theft.

Now a former Texas Bank Manager pleaded guilty to robbing his customers of some $2 Million. A tidy sum. Not exactly pencils and a few reams of paper. The convicted employee used the money to live it large. No desperation here. Just aspirations for a better lifestyle, one way above her pay grade.

According to the article in the Ft.Worth Star-Telegram…”she used the money for vacations, clothing, jewelry and land. She must forfeit property in Granbury, a car, a camping trailer, plus a diamond ring and bracelet.”

She operated in what I would call a modified Ponzi Scheme. She robbed from one customer’s account and when the customer complained of missing funds, she would replace it with money stolen from a different customer account. How she didn’t expect to be discovered is beyond me. Maybe she did, and the thrill and the goodies, those trinkets and baubles were worth the risk. Hard to say.

She faces up to thirty years in prison with restitution of approximately $1 Million. The prison sentence should give her plenty of time to ponder whether it was worth it.